No Matter What
by Baine
Summary: One day on the beach, two boys form an unlikely friendship that will transcend all else. Only together can they grow up to be the men they are destined to become. COMPLETE


No Matter What

Chapter 1/1 [Complete]

By Baine

Email: lady_baine (at) yahoo (dot) com

Written: June 2009 for the LJ community sm_fanswap. My recipient was Veve_W.

Posted: July 21, 2009

Because it was Mamo-chan's birthday yesterday (sorry I missed it!!), I wanted to give him a present. Happy (belated) Birthday! 3

Warnings: This story takes place in the world of PGSM, though it occurs before the events of PGSM begin so you can read the story without knowing the drama series at all.

**Notes: **

Veve-W, you didn't say what type of canon to use, so I hope it's okay that I used PGSM. The story came to me pretty rapidly and I felt compelled to write it. My muse was so inspired to share with me that I wrote the first draft in one shot! It's vague enough that you can still completely understand the story without having ever seen PGSM due to the fact that it occurs before the stories told in the drama series unfold. (And if you haven't seen it, I must say, I highly recommend it! It's cheesy, yes, but it also has some original new twists and turns that will keep you on your toes...)

Thank you to Syrinx for going over the story with me really fast for inconsistencies despite not being my normal beta. I really appreciate your help and had a lot of fun going over the piece with you!

**_.-"-._ _.-"-._ _.-"-._**

**.-" "-.-" "-.-" "-.**

Our friendship started in the strangest of ways. I'd been on vacation with my parents and little sister, Unazuki, while he'd come with his patron family. He later told me that it was his first time seeing the ocean.

That first night after our arrival, I'd gone out to the beach after dinner hoping to see a mermaid now that no one was in the water. One of my favorite movies was _The Little Mermaid_ and I was determined to befriend a real, live mermaid and be the envy of all the kids at school when I returned from summer vacation. My child's mind fervently believed that if I snuck out, I could see one despite the fact that they didn't like to appear in front of humans. It was while I was walking along the white sand and looking out to sea that I caught my foot in the sand and stumbled, bumping right into him. The impact caused me to tumble forward, plopping onto the ground as I glanced up at the boy now towering above me.

Fumbling with an apology, I sat up and stuttered, "Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going and—"

The boy laughed, his blue eyes glistening like the water cresting behind him. "Don't worry, it's all good. I wasn't paying attention either." He bent down and held out a hand to help me up. "I'm Chiba Mamoru," he proclaimed, bowing as he introduced himself.

Returning the gesture, I responded with, "My name's Furuhata Motoki."

Mamoru grinned, revealing a missing tooth. "Nice to meet you, Furuhata-kun."

"Likewise." I smiled nervously. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"What, uh, what are you doing out so late?" I glanced around furtively, almost expecting to see a screaming parent or two to show up at any moment, then looked nervously toward the water, hoping he wasn't out for the same reason I was. I wanted the mermaid all for myself.

Shrugging nonchalantly, Mamoru stated, "Just wandering, really. I was bored and Hina-chan wanted us to throw a tea party for her dolls, so I escaped while I could."

Laughing with both relief and empathy, I stated, "My little sister's like that, too. She's always following me around. I only managed to slip out tonight because she got caught up watching _Doraemon_ on TV." I tilted my head curiously. "Do you have any other brothers and sisters?" ***--1**

An indecipherable look flitted across his face and his eyes darkened to a turbulent shade of blue as he replied, "I'm an only child, actually. Hina-chan and I aren't really related."

I was about to respond, but could hear the distant sound of my mom calling my name. I yelled, "Coming!" Facing Mamoru once more, I asked, "Will I see you again?"

"Yeah, I live right down there." He pointed to a beach house a few feet away.

We said our goodbyes and I hurried off, forgetting all about the question I'd been about to ask, one I wouldn't have found out the answer to right away anyway.

Every day for the rest of the week, we got together at sunset to play away from the prying eyes of our families. I'd never had a close friend outside of school before and Mamoru confided that he hadn't either.

Together, we built sandcastles occupied by happy families, combed the water for lurking mermaids, and explored various crab holes looking for buried treasure. Our final night, we found the greatest prize of all.

The evening had started like all the others: we'd walked along the surf while collecting shells and bits of seaweed for our latest and grandest sand castle. That night however, we wandered further than usual, stopping only when I almost stepped onto a patch of sand that began to convulse beneath my foot.

I jumped backward, surprising Mamoru, who hadn't noticed what I had.

"What's going on?" Mamoru inquired, leaning down to examine them and pushing his dark bangs out of his eyes.

"I have no clue. You don't think it's a snake, do you? I don't really like snakes."

"Nah, who ever heard of a snake that liked the beach?"

As we debated what we were looking at, silvery light from the full moon spilled across the sand as it suddenly erupted, mangled bits of debris flying toward us. Alarmed, I reached out and clutched Mamoru's arm, ready to make a run for it should the need arise.

One by one, little heads and limbs appeared. Soon, the newly formed hole was teeming with newborn turtles as they made their way to the ocean.

"That's amazing," I breathed, watching the parade at my feet in awe. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Me neither."

Together, we watched the turtles gather their bearings, unwilling to go home and miss the night's grand finale. The babies slipped and slid their way across the sand, falling over their own limbs in their haste to reach the water. I wanted to lean down and hold one, but Mamoru stopped me before I could.

"If you touch him, he'll smell like you," he warned.

"So? I don't stink." I tucked my head into my armpit and breathed in deeply to confirm the fact.

"I once found a baby bird and brought it to my teacher. She said that I shouldn't have done that because the bird's mommy wouldn't want the bird back if it smelled like a human. Turtles are probably the same way."

I glanced toward the water. "I don't see their momma, do you? How could she just leave her babies here?"

"I don't know. Maybe she had too many babies and got scared?"

"How many do you think there are?"

Mamoru's eyes swept the tableau before us. "Maybe a hundred?"

"That's a lot of turtles. Do you think their momma will care if I take one home with me? I'll take good care of it."

"I don't think your parents will be too happy if you bring home a pet without permission. Besides, what if you can't keep it? The poor turtle will never get to see his family again. I don't think it would like that at all."

"I guess you're right." I sighed forlornly. "Unazuki-chan will be so sad that she couldn't see the turtles. She loves babies." More than anything, I wanted to bring one home for her, but I didn't want to separate the turtle from its family.

Reluctantly letting go of the notion, I allowed myself to be content with watching the rare show we'd stumbled upon. It felt like hours had passed as we observed the turtles crawl out of the sand and make their way to the sea, but they were such fast little creatures that it wouldn't have surprised me to find out that the entire scene hadn't taken more than a few minutes to play out. All in all, it was the perfect end to our vacation, though I mourned the fact that I had to say goodbye to my new friend, especially after having done likewise to the turtles.

As luck would have it, however, the two of us were destined to meet again. When the new school year began the following April, I nearly wept tears of joy when I saw that Mamoru was one of my new classmates. I'd had no clue that we lived so close to one another. Within no time, we resumed our friendship, and closed off as he was, I still found that I knew Mamoru better than I did anyone else. We studied and played together after hours while in elementary school, discovered girls together in junior high school, and were both admitted to the same prestigious high school, where we pushed one another to even higher standards. He wanted to be a doctor and I wanted to be a marine biologist, so we were often in the same class due to how advanced we were when it came to our studies.

I feared the day high school ended and we were forced to face the real world. Mamoru had to deal with an unwanted betrothal while I was expected to work in the karaoke shop my family owned. Life threatened to pull us in two separate directions, giving neither of us what we wanted most in life. What would happen to our friendship? Was distance going to chip away at our bond until there was nothing left? As though sensing my inner turmoil, Mamoru surprised me one day with a present.

"I have something for you," he told me, placing a small cardboard box adorned with holes next to the textbook I'd just put down.

"What's this for?" I asked curiously. It wasn't my birthday and we seldom exchanged gifts.

He grinned mysteriously. "Open it and I'll tell you."

I reached for the box hesitantly, unsure what was inside. Gingerly lifting the flaps, I peered down into the box and gasped in surprise. Nestled in the right-hand corner was a little turtle the length of my thumb. I looked up in shock, my head swiveling from the turtle to my friend and back again.

"Wh-What's this?" I stuttered, caught off guard.

"It's a turtle." Mamoru smiled proudly.

"Yes, I know that, but—why?"

A pensive look appeared in my friend's eyes. "Do you remember that summer we met on the beach? Our last night there, we stumbled across all the baby turtles as they hatched and made their way to the sea."

I nodded slowly. "I remember."

"Well," he cleared his throat and continued, "you've been such a good friend to me over the years and I've really valued our time together. School's ending soon and who knows what will happen to us?"

He stared off into the distance. "Sometimes, I feel like big changes lie in store for us, things that will irrevocably change our lives. It's a little scary. No matter what happens, though, I hope that we'll always be friends. I don't think I could stand not having you in my life, 'Toki. I just...I don't want you to forget me."

He shifted uncomfortably and I realized that cool, suave Mamoru had the same fears about the future as me. He wasn't perfect after all. It was rare to see a chisel in his emotional armor, even after all these years.

My throat clogged with emotion and I smiled hesitantly. "You'll never lose me, though. We're friends, right? No matter what happens to us in the future, let's promise to always be there for one another, no matter what."

Mamoru's eyes gleamed as he held out his hand and we shook on it, too mature to swap spit or blood the way we would have back when we were younger. Today, a handshake was powerful enough on its own because we'd been through so much together over the years.

"I still don't understand why you got me a turtle." I laughed, turning back to the box and holding out a finger for the small creature to explore.

"Well, we're graduating soon and like I said before, I just wanted you to remember me. A turtle seemed fitting." He shot me a crooked smile. "Plus, I know someone who's giving them away."

"Ah, so the truth comes out," I exclaimed, clutching my heart. "You just wanted to foist him off on someone and you know how much I love animals."

Mamoru rolled his eyes and reached across the table. "If you don't want him..."

"No, no, I do." I possessively tugged the box closer to my chest and peered down into it again. "He's all mine now, aren't you Kamekichi?"

Mamoru smiled, amused. "Kamekichi, huh? A lucky turtle? Are you really naming your turtle, well, _turtle_?"

"So what if I do? It's a good, strong name. He _is_ a turtle, after all. Plus, I've always liked the kanji character for turtle, and the character for lucky is similar to the kanji in my last name. He's going to be my good luck charm from now on because he's from you, so it's fitting, don't you think?" I rambled. "Guess I'll have to find another name for my first-born now, though. What about—" ***--2**

Mamoru leaned over the table and thwapped me upside the head. "You're such a dork, 'Toki."

I merely laughed and turned back to examine my new pet, his small, perfectly formed shell gleaming like a shiny coin.

From now on, whenever I looked at Kamekichi, I knew that my best friend's spirit would be right beside me, even if time and distance separated us. Thanks to Kamekichi, I'd always remember all the good times Mamoru and I had shared over the years and he'd never leave my memories. This small creature bound us together and I found that I no longer feared the future in quite the way I had mere minutes ago. Mamoru was still my best friend and he always would be, no matter what.

**_.-"-._ _.-"-._ _.-"-._**

**.-" "-.-" "-.-" "-.**

**CULTURAL NOTE #1:** _Doraemon_ is one of the most famous animated cartoon characters in Japan. Google/Youtube him to see the cutie in action!

**CULTURAL NOTE #2:** Kanji is the name for the Chinese characters that make up one of the three Japanese alphabet systems. The kanji for "kichi" is very similar to the kanji for "Furu" in Motoki's last name ("Furuhata"). If your computer can read Japanese characters, take a look: かめ吉 (Kamekichi) vs. 古幡元基 (Furuhata Motoki). I won't get into radicals and stroke counts and all that fun stuff, but you can see that吉 is very much like 古, no? So that's what the boys are talking about.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **For those who haven't seen PGSM, Motoki really did have a turtle named Kamekichi. I was thinking about how he might have gotten him for a pet and put this piece together. I hope you all enjoyed it as much I did while writing the piece!

Thanks for reading!

**_.-"-._ _.-"-._ _.-"-._**

**.-" "-.-" "-.-" "-.**

Like it? Hate it? I'm the one to talk to! Hit the little review button or e-mail lady_baine (at) yahoo (dot) com today!

«•´`•.(*•.¸(`•.¸ ¸.•´)¸.•*).•´`•»

«•´¨*•.¸¸. *Baine*.¸¸.•*¨`•»

«•´`•.(¸.•´(¸.•* *•.¸)`•.¸).•´`•»


End file.
